The Arkansas State Review Board will convene on December 3 to evaluate a new slate of nominations for the National Register of Historic Places, a move that could add several significant Arkansas properties to the nation’s official list of historically important sites.
“The National Register of Historic Places is a program that is administered nationally by the National Park Service and is administered in Arkansas by the Arkansas Historic Preservation Program,” said Ralph Wilcox, national register and survey coordinator and deputy state historic preservation officer. “It’s always a great honor to have properties from around the state considered for listing… Arkansas should be proud of its architectural heritage.”
This year’s nominations come from ten Arkansas counties, representing a wide range of 20th-century structures including bridges, schools, a cotton gin, a historic highway segment, residential properties, and civic buildings.
Wilcox noted the diversity and significance of the sites under consideration: “At this meeting, the Review Board will consider National Register nominations for bridges, schools, a cotton gin, a highway segment, a house, a YWCA building, and an apartment complex.”
Nominations Under Review
Pulaski County
Dunbar Junior and Senior High School and Junior College (Additional Documentation) – Expands on the 1980 nomination, elevating the building to national significance.
Roosevelt Road Bridge – Built in 1935, notable for its combination of Classical and Art Deco architectural elements.
Garland County
Robert E. Lee Elementary School – Designed by Irven Granger McDaniel in 1950, an exemplary representation of the International Style.
Clark County
Highway A-2 Bridges – Two c.1920 concrete bridges once serving as the main regional road before U.S. 67.
Yell County
Harris Creek Bridge – A c.1920 structure and the oldest known closed spandrel deck arch bridge in the county.
Johnson County
College Street Bridge – Built c.1925, associated with statewide early 20th-century highway improvements.
St. Francis County
Highway A-1, Forrest City Segment – A four-mile stretch with eight c.1920 concrete bridges, once the county’s main east-west route.
Poinsett County
Emrich and Beley Cotton Gin – Built in 1936, the last remaining cotton gin in Tyronza, tied to the region’s agricultural history.
Union County
Emon and Mabel Mahony House – A 1950–1951 Colonial Revival home featuring landscape design influenced by Neil Hamill Park.
YWCA Building, El Dorado – A 1938 structure serving as the city’s YWCA headquarters until around 1990.
Washington County
Parkview Apartments, Fayetteville – A 1947–1948 Colonial Revival courtyard-style apartment complex designed by Paul Young, Jr.
In addition to National Register nominations, the board will consider two nominations for the Arkansas Register of Historic Places: the Walter and Emma Saeler House in Little Rock and the Russellville Junior and Senior High School. The Arkansas Register provides recognition for properties of statewide or local significance that may not meet the national criteria.
For more information about the National Register of Historic Places and Arkansas’s historic properties, visit the Arkansas Heritage preservation site.
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